Native Electronic Withdrawal Function (§ 356a BGB) for German Consumer Contracts
Feature Request Summary:
A customer using PandaDoc for digitally signed consumer contracts in Germany has requested a native compliance feature to support the new German law § 356a BGB (Burgerliches Gesetzbuch), which came into effect on June 19, 2026. This law requires an electronic withdrawal function (commonly referred to as the "Widerrufsbutton") for certain consumer contracts concluded online.
What the customer is asking for:
1. The ability to activate a legally compliant withdrawal button on specific documents or contract types.
2. A built-in workflow that includes the following steps:
- Consumer initiates withdrawal ("Withdraw contract")
- Confirmation step for the withdrawal ("Confirm withdrawal")
- Automatic confirmation of receipt sent to the consumer upon completion
3. Support for this to be configured at the document or contract type level, not just workspace-wide.
Regulatory context:
This is not a preference or a nice-to-have. § 356a BGB is a mandatory legal requirement for any business in Germany concluding covered consumer contracts digitally. Non-compliance creates legal risk for the customer. The law is already in force.
Market impact:
This affects any PandaDoc customer in the German market working with consumers in a B2C context - not just this account. This is a market-wide compliance gap for the DACH region. Customers who discover PandaDoc cannot meet this requirement may be forced to seek alternative solutions.
Source ticket: Intercom conversation 215474755948573
Customer account: Mein Haus - Mein Gewinn (Starter Monthly)
Dritan Jashari
shared this idea